Poor people shouldn't have xmas

[Tria]

Mostly because I am not Christian....

Niether am I, but that's why us Pagans got the Solstice....

[Lace Neil Singer]

I'm atheist, and I celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday.

[friendofjimmyk]

Niether am I, but that's why us Pagans got the Solstice....

Yeah, and correct me if I am wrong, but isn't all the Christmas pagentry (trees, lights, decorations) taken from Pagan traditions and customs?

I have aligned myself more with Pagan beliefs and think about the decorations simply because I have heard their orgins were Pagan before Christianity adopted them.

[Tria]

Yeah, and correct me if I am wrong, but isn't all the Christmas pagentry (trees, lights, decorations) taken from Pagan traditions and customs?

I have aligned myself more with Pagan beliefs and think about the decorations simply because I have heard their orgins were Pagan before Christianity adopted them.

Give the man a cookie. Yeppers, if one actually reads, they'd see Jesus born near the Passover.... And they wouldn't have the lambs outside at night in the dead of winter in the desert.... So December 25th is right out and set up to line up with the Yule.


On the other hand the decoations:

Wreath: Crown of the Holy King.

Mistletoe: Oh there was a whole big to do about gathering the real stuff way back when.

[friendofjimmyk]

Uh, woman...give the woman a cookie! And I'll take two please!!

[RecoveringKinkoid]

FriendofJimmyK, why not make your own winter holiday, after the "real" holidays are over and things are not so hectic. Invite over some friends, neighbors, or whatever, and spend a cozy evening doing whatever you want and celebrating those you DO have in your life. If you don't have any handy, invite over some aquaintences you enjoy.

While I do celebrate Christmas, I also celebrate 12th Night in January, a Medieval holiday. My friends and I don't see each other during the holidays, so 12th Night is OUR holiday. We do it every year. It'l a way to stay in touch, sort of a homecoming.

Then maybe the Christmas stuff will give you something to anticipate, instead of dread.

Also, about calling that AWFUL "person" a bitch...do NOT do that. I'M a bitch, and THAT chick doesn't deserve the title.

[Kogarashi]

Regarding eBay reselling, I occasionally do that (these past two years, I've made Christmas tree angels for myself, my mom and mother-in-law, and my former roommate, and I'm contemplating making a few more and attempting to sell them on eBay). Thrift stores are a great place to find some supplies for such projects. But I have never once considered haggling at a thrift store. I guess I've always figured that I'm getting a great deal on it to begin with, and it wasn't worth the extra money I'd save.

Of course, I never really haggled at lawn sales either. The only time I did it was once, when I had only $1 on me (I was about 10 at the time, and had painstakingly saved up that one dollar from lost teeth and sock-matching for Mom). Someone had a nearly-complete copy of Battleship for sale for $2. I think the only things missing were the directions and a very small handful of white pegs, though none of that affected gameplay at all. I asked the lady running the sale if I could have it for $1 because it was all I had, and she let me. Made my day, really.

[Rahmota]

After skimming this all I have to say is Snobs are so nice......
when stuffed and mounted over the mantel.

[Jester]

I just wanted to quote these women that came into my thrift store today

This is not anti-religious, this it not anti-holiday, so please no one take it as such...but it's people like the OP's cheapass women that make me glad I'm not a Christian. Take it for what it is, please.

Yeah, and correct me if I am wrong, but isn't all the Christmas pagentry (trees, lights, decorations) taken from Pagan traditions and customs?

"Stolen" would probably be a more correct word, or more politely, "co-opted." Many "Christian" holidays have stolen their trappings from earlier Pagan/Celtic/whatever rites. Christmas trees, mistletoe, Christmas wreaths, Christmas presents, Easter eggs, Easter egg hunts, the Easter bunny...you get the idea. And not one of them, in and of themselves (not talking about the ideas associated with them) has a hoot to do with Jesus or what he taught.

After skimming this all I have to say is Snobs are so nice......
when stuffed and mounted over the mantel.

I prefer Aerosmith's version, from the song "Eat the Rich":

"Their attitudes may taste like shit, but go real well with wine...."

Of course, I never really haggled at lawn sales either. The only time I did it was once, when I had only $1 on me (I was about 10 at the time, and had painstakingly saved up that one dollar from lost teeth and sock-matching for Mom).

When I have yard sales, I don't haggle. Period. The price listed or quoted is the price, end of story. The only time I make exceptions is for kids, as in your story, and NOT when it is obvious that the kid is being put up to it by evil parents/guardians, but when it is something genuine, again, as in your story. Selective enforcement? Sure. But it's my yard sale, it's my stuff being sold, I'll make the damn rules as I see fit. Anyone who haggles excessively gets the same treatment as people who try to haggle the price of a drink at my bar.

JESTER: "Hi there! What can I get ya?"
ASSHAT: "I'd like a Corona. How much is that?"
JESTER: "Four dollars."
ASSHAT: "How about I give you two dollars and we call it even?"
JESTER: "Five dollars, no problem. I can do that."
ASSHAT: "No, I said TWO dollars."
JESTER: "Six dollars? Sure, why not."
ASSHAT: [starting to see where this is going] "Um, how about three dollars?"
JESTER: "Honestly, I think eight dollars is a bit much, but if you insist...."
ASSHAT: "Okay! Okay! Four dollars!"
JESTER: "No problem. Here's your beer....pleasure doing business with ya!"

Yes, I'm evil. But ya know what? The only people that get deals at my bar/yard sale are the people *I* decide to give a deal to. Haggle with the Jester at your own risk!

[Rahmota]

FriendofJimmyK, why not make your own winter holiday

Wasnt there a seinfeld episode about that?

Very funny one Jester.

[phillippbo]

You know, I'd be half-tempted to give them something for FREE:

Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol"

Chances are they'd miss the message I was trying to send, though...

[Dips]

There's something special about the people who haggle with charities. Maybe it's the fact that they know the stuff is all donated and they think giving any money at all for the goods is doing the charity some huge favor. Like the charity should be thanking them for not stealing it.

I posted about the time my husband ran the rummage sale at a neighborhood fundraiser and ran into one of these people. The guy wanted to buy a brand new, in the box, sporting the original $15 price tag doorknob...

SC: How much for this?

Mr. Dips: $5.

SC: I'll give you a dollar for it.

Mr. Dips: $5.

SC: I'm not paying $5. Sell it to me for $1.

Mr. Dips: No.

The SC walked away. The other lady who was helping out came over aghast that he had let the guy walk away. After all $1 is better than nothing. Mr. Dips just told her to wait and watch. Sure enough the guy came back.

SC: I see you still have the doorknob.

Mr. Dips: Yup.

SC: I can give you $2 for it.

Mr. Dips: $5.

SC: C'mon. Why can't you be reasonable?

Mr. Dips: I am being reasonable. $5 is an excellent price for a $15 doorknob.

SC: I know that stuff is all donated. If I give you $2, that's pure profit.

Mr. Dips: I'm not trying to profit. I'm trying to raise funds to improve the park.

SC: $2 is better than nothing.

Mr. Dips: And $5 is better than $2.

SC: Fine!

And he stormed off. At this point, the other lady and I were trying very hard not to laugh. We all figured the guy would come back and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. The SC's next stop at the table ended up being the last one.

SC: You only have another hour to sell that doorknob and I see you still have it.

Mr. Dips: Yup.

SC: Are you going to take $2 for it?

Mr. Dips: $5.

SC: Nobody is going to give you $5 for it. If you don't sell it to me, you won't make anything at all on it.

Mr. Dips: If I don't sell it before we close down, I'M going to buy it for $5.

SC: You can't do that!

Mr. Dips: Sure I can, unless somebody else buys it for $5 before I get a chance to.

The SC bought the doorknob for $5.

[DesignFox]

I love Jester's haggling story. My dad owns his own car repair shop, and he does towing for one of our state's local police. Needless to say, he goes out on call and ends up towing the cars of all the drunk drivers, people without insurance, etc. at all hours of the night.

Half the time the drunks show up in the morning (or days later) to pick up their cars and haggle with him over the towing/storage fees (or flat out refuse to pay). When that happens, he tacks an extra days charge on top- then, they don't know what to say...

The best part is, if an SC gets real belligerent and starts with the threats, the police will show up and back my father

[Kyree]

*Twitch* *twitch* People like that get my blood boiling. I'd probably slap them in response...

[protege]

Half the time the drunks show up in the morning (or days later) to pick up their cars and haggle with him over the towing/storage fees (or flat out refuse to pay). When that happens, he tacks an extra days charge on top- then, they don't know what to say...

The best part is, if an SC gets real belligerent and starts with the threats, the police will show up and back my father

Here in PA, if you refuse to pay your garage bill...the garage can legally seize your car.